So
The Book of Mormon sucks shit to read. I'm sorry, but it does. The hero prophet
stories get old fast,
the wars drag on and on,
it repeats the Bible ad nauseam, and it makes
poor excuses for poor writing. If you have any other book on your reading list, read that one first. Or if you just have to read
The Book of Mormon, try
this version, at least it has some character.
One of my personal favorite literary tactics in
The Book of Mormon is repetition. It's about as amusing as watching a
dog chase its tail for 500 pages. The tiring use of "and it came to pass" (occurring 1404 times) is the most famous example of why
The Book of Mormon is considered chloroform in print, but there are plenty of other repetitions. The author(s) uses "all manner of" and "of every kind" in attempt to abreviate the cataloging of artifacts, activities, behaviors, and beliefs, which IS USED A LOT, is another way the author(s) fills up pages without saying much. It's an attempt to sound smart and biblical (the KJT rarely uses "all manner of" more than once or twice per book) but that instead creates
redundancy and vagueness. I mean, how are we supposed to know what all the manners and kinds are unless they tell us what those manners are explicitly? I guess in a way that vagueness makes
The Book of Mormon a work designed to trigger the apologist imagination. And yet the book itself is very limited in its imagery and narrative. You might say that the record of the Nephites and Jaredites plays in a manner like unto a broken record.
I don't blame the ancient writers for the overkill of "all manner of" and "of every kind,"
I blame the translator who should have known how to better render Ancient New World Hebrew into English.
Here are the 200+ "
manner of"s and "
of every kind"s you'll find in the text. They're not all egregiously awful, but most are. I've organized them in a handful of imperfect categories.
EVIL DOINGS & PUNISHMENTS:
"
after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father" (
1 Nephi 5:3)
"it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and
their manner of dress was exceedingly fine" (
1 Nephi 8:27)
"I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw
lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and
all manner
of tumultuous noises; and
I saw the earth and the rocks, that they
rent; and I saw
mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw
the plains of
the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw
many cities that they
were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw
many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof" (
1 Nephi 12:4)
"after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and
all manner of abominations" (
1 Nephi 12:23)
"I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and
all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots" (
1 Nephi 13:7)
"
after this manner did my brother Laman stir up their hearts to anger" (
1 Nephi 16:38)
"
after this manner of language did my brethren murmur and complain" (
1 Nephi 17:22)
"all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built
up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become
popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the
flesh and the things of the world, and to do
all manner of iniquity" (
1 Nephi 22:23)
"the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old
like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in
like manner" (2 Nephi 8:6)
"that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh
unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret
combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness" (2 Nephi 9:9)
"as his rod was upon the sea so shall he lift it up after
the manner of Egypt" (
2 Nephi 20:26)
"Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning
the manner of prophesying among the Jews [...] I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning
the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations" (
2 Nephi 25:1-2)
"they shall be visited with thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes, and
all manner of destructions" (
2 Nephi 26:6)
"they will be drunken with iniquity and
all manner of abominations" (
2 Nephi 27:1)
"I, Jacob, spake many more things unto the people of Nephi, warning them against fornication and lasciviousness, and
every kind of sin, telling them the awful consequences of them" (
Jacob 3:12)
"there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and
prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually
reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments
and the power of God, and
all these things—stirring them up continually
to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say
there was nothing short of
these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would
keep them
from going down speedily to destruction. And
after this manner do I write concerning them." (
Enos 1:23)
"nor even have I suffered that ye should commit
any manner of wickedness" (
Mosiah 2:13)
"the Lamanites began to increase in riches, and began to trade one with
another and wax great, and began to be a cunning and a wise people, as
to the wisdom of the world, yea,
a very cunning people, delighting in
all manner of wickedness and plunder, except it were among their own brethren." (
Mosiah 24:7) This sounds like Mormons today (e.g. Mitt Romney)!
"there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor
any manner of iniquity" (
Mosiah 29:14)
"all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions,
and bloodshed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing
of whoredoms, and
all manner of iniquities which cannot be enumerated" (
Mosiah 29:30)
"they did commit whoredoms and
all manner of wickedness" (
Mosiah 11:2)
"he led many of the people to do
after the manner of his iniquities" (
Mosiah 27:8)
"he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very
costly apparel, yea, and even began to establish a church
after the manner of his preaching" (
Alma 1:6)
"they did persecute them, and afflict them with
all manner of words" (
Alma 1:20)
"those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in
sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in
envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the
pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing,
committing whoredoms, and murdering, and
all manner of wickedness" (
Alma 1:32)
"the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding
riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because
of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and
all
manner of precious things, which they
had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they
lifted
up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly
apparel" (
Alma 4:6)
"how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and
all manner of filthiness?" (
Alma 5:22)
"ye are guilty of
all manner of wickedness" (
Alma 5:23)
"they did stir up the people to riotings, and
all manner of disturbances and wickedness" (
Alma 11:20)
"they were full of
all manner of wickedness" (
Alma 13:17)
"And many such
things did they say unto them, gnashing their teeth upon them, and
spitting upon them, and saying: How shall we look when we are damned?
And many such things, yea,
all manner of such things did they say unto them; and
thus they did mock them for many days." (
Alma 14:21-22)
"those priests who did go forth among the people did preach against all
lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and malice, and
revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing
adultery, and
all manner of lasciviousness" (
Alma 16:18)
"they ought not to murder, nor to plunder, nor to steal, nor to commit adultery, nor to commit
any manner of wickedness" (
Alma 23:3)
"he said unto the priests of Noah that their seed should cause many to be put to death,
in the like manner as he was, and that they should be scattered abroad and slain" (
Alma 25:12)
"we have suffered
all manner of afflictions (
Alma 26:30)
"
after this manner did he preach" (
Alma 30:12)
"this put an end to the iniquity
after the manner of Korihor" (
Alma 30:58)
"he did go on
in the same manner as he did in the land of Gideon; yea, he went on to blaspheme" (
Alma 30:30)
"they did worship
after a manner which Alma and his brethren had never beheld" (
Alma 31:12)
"he saw that their hearts were set upon gold, and upon silver, and upon
all manner of fine goods" (
Alma 31:24)
"because they shall dwindle in unbelief and fall into the works of darkness, and lasciviousness, and
all manner of iniquities" (
Alma 45:12)
"not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and
impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the
Lamanites—drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way
to indolence, and
all manner of lasciviousness" (
Alma 47:36)
"the law should be altered in
a manner to overthrow the free government and to establish a king over the land" (
Alma 51:5)
"Kishkumen and his band, who had covenanted with him, did mingle themselves among the people, in
a manner that they all could not be found" (
Helaman 1:12)
"they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and
all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God" (
Helaman 6:23)
"ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this
world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear
false witness against your neighbor, and do
all manner of iniquity" (
Helaman 7:21)
"we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the
increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold,
and in silver, and in
all manner of
precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and
delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts
of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea,
and in fine,
doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his
people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do
forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One" (Helaman 12:2)
"except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea,
except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine
and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him" (
Helaman 12:3)
"how quick to boast, and do
all manner of that which is iniquity" (
Helaman 12:5)
"your hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with
great pride, unto boasting, and unto great swelling, envyings, strifes,
malice, persecutions, and murders, and
all manner of iniquities" (
Helaman 13:22)
"ye do cast out the prophets, and do mock them, and cast stones at them, and do slay them, and do
all manner of iniquity unto them" (
Helaman 13:24)
"if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord,
which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him,
and cast him out and seek
all manner of ways to destroy him" (
Helaman 13:26)
"they were girded about
after the manner of robbers" (
3 Nephi 4:7)
"Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do
all manner
of iniquity, and
to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to
seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the
world. And thus
Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity" (
3 Nephi 6:15-16)
"men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say
all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake" (
3 Nephi 12:11)
"shall be filled with
all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations" (
3 Nephi 16:10)
"there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and
all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world" (
4 Nephi 1:24)
"there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet
they did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they did
receive
all manner of wickedness" (
4 Nephi 1:27)
"the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests
and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do
all manner of iniquity" (
4 Nephi 1:34)
"gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in
all manner of traffic" (
4 Nephi 1:46)
"there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall
be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and
all manner of abominations" (
Mormon 8:31)
"there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the
pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto
envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and
all manner of iniquities" (
Mormon 8:36)
"they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths
unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power
to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit
all manner of wickedness and whoredoms" (
Ether 8:16)
"I, Moroni, do not write
the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people" (
Ether 8:20) And yet he includes extensive passages from the Bible, a book which is held among essentially all people.
"they had sworn unto him to do
all manner of iniquity" (
Ether 9:10)
"they adopted the old plans, and administered oaths after
the manner of the ancients, and sought again to destroy the kingdom" (
Ether 10:33)
"he did do
all manner of iniquity in his days" (
Ether 11:10)
"there were robbers, and in fine,
all manner of wickedness upon all the face of the land" (
Ether 13:26)
"
after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one" (
Moroni 7:17)
"Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord
after this manner, for they shall perish except they repent." (
Moroni 8:16)
FOOD & LIVESTOCK:
"we had gathered together
all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind" (
1 Nephi 8:1)
"we did take seed
of every kind" (1 Nephi 16:11)
"there were
beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox,
and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and
all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men" (
1 Nephi 18:25)
"the people of Nephi did till the land, and raise
all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks
of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses." (
Enos 1:21)
"with
all manner of seeds,
with seeds of corn, and of wheat, and of barley, and with neas, and with sheum, and
with seeds of
all manner of fruits" (
Mosiah 9:9)
"
all manner of grain and
all manner of fruit of every kind" (
Mosiah 10:4)
"gather together thy flocks,
both male and female,
of every kind; and also of the seed of the earth
of every kind; and thy families" (
Ether 1:41)
"they did carry with them swarms of bees, and
all manner of that which was upon the face of the land, seeds
of every kind" (
Ether 2:3)
PROSPERING:
"
after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled" (
1 Nephi 1:15)
"he left gold and silver, and
all manner of riches" (
1 Nephi 3:16)
"I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with
all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits" (
1 Nephi 11:41)
"we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again
in abundance. And we began to raise
flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind" (2 Nephi 5:11)
"we lived
after the manner of happiness" (
2 Nephi 5:27)
"there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken
unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after
the manner of the things of the Jews. But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children after
the manner of the Jews" (
2 Nephi 25:5-6)
"many of you have begun to search for gold, and for silver, and for
all manner of precious ores" (
Jacob 2:12)
"I am like as yourselves, subject to
all manner of infirmities in body and mind" (
Mosiah 2:11)
"I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor
any manner of riches of you" (
Mosiah 2:12)
"Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the
substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and
for silver, and for all the riches which we have
of every kind?" (
Mosiah 4:19)
"we at this time do pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the
amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even
all our grain
of every kind,
and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and
even one
half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites doth exact of
us" (
Mosiah 7:22)
"they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla but returned to
this land, having traveled in a land among many waters, having
discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts,
and was also covered with
ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled" (
Mosiah 8:8)
"they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things
whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of flocks and herds, and
fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of
silver, and of precious things, and abundance of silk and fine-twined
linen, and
all manner of good homely cloth" (
Alma 1:29)
"having been saved from famine, and from sickness, and
all manner
of diseases of every kind; and they having waxed strong in battle, that
they might not be destroyed; having been brought out of bondage time
after time, and having been kept and preserved until now; and they have
been prospered until they are
rich in all manner of things" (
Alma 9:22)
"A senum of silver was equal to a senine of gold, and either for a measure of barley, and also for a measure
of every kind of grain." (
Alma 11:7)
"his wife, and his sons, and his daughters mourned over him,
after the manner of the Lamanites,
greatly lamenting his loss" (
Alma 18:43)
"I have been supported under
trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and
in all manner of afflictions" (
Alma 36:27)
"myself, and also my men, and also Helaman and his men, have suffered
exceedingly great sufferings; yea, even hunger, thirst, and fatigue, and
all manner of afflictions of every kind" (
Alma 60:3)
"all the prisoners of the Lamanites did join the people of Ammon, and did
begin to labor exceedingly, tilling the ground, raising
all manner of grain, and flocks and herds of every kind" (
Alma 62:29)
"he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from
all manner of afflictions, and
he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies" (
Alma 62:50)
"there are many books and many records
of every kind" (Helaman 3:15)
"they did have an exceeding plenty of gold, and of silver, and of
all manner of precious metals, both in the land south and in the land north" (
Helaman 6:9)
"their women did toil and spin, and did make
all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and
cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness" (
Helaman 6:13)
"they did take with them all that they had not devoured, of
all their grain of every kind, and their gold, and their silver, and
all their precious things, and they did return to their own lands and their possessions" (
3 Nephi 6:2)
"they were not united as to their laws, and
their manner of government" (
3 Nephi 7:14)
"Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or
that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are
afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them" (
3 Nephi 17:7)
"all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and
their
afflicted, and their
lame, and with their
blind, and with their
dumb, and with all them that were
afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them
every one" (
3 Nephi 17:9)
"having healed all their sick, and their lame, and opened the eyes of
their blind and unstopped the ears of the deaf, and even had done
all manner of cures among them, and raised a man from the dead, and had shown forth his power unto them" (
3 Nephi 25:16)
"there were great and marvelous works wrought by the disciples of Jesus,
insomuch that they did heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cause the
lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to
hear; and
all manner of miracles did they work among the children of men" (
4 Nephi 1:5)
"there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor
any manner of lasciviousness" (
4 Nephi 1:16)
"Having
all manner of fruit, and of grain, and of silks, and of fine linen, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things; And also all manner of cattle, of oxen,
and cows, and of sheep, and of swine, and of goats, and also many other
kinds of animals which were useful for the food of man." (
Ether 9:17-18)
"the Lord God would send or bring forth another people to possess the land, by his power,
after the manner by which he brought their fathers" (
Ether 11:21)
"
after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men" (
Moroni 7:32)
THE RIGHT WAY:
"
after this manner of language did I persuade my brethren" (
1 Nephi 3:21)
"
after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah" (
1 Nephi 5:6)
"
after this manner of language did she speak" (
1 Nephi 5:8)
"
after this manner of language did my father prophesy and speak unto my brethren, and also many more things which I do not write in this book" (
1 Nephi 10:15)
"
after this manner has the prophet written" (
1 Nephi 19:24)
"I, Jacob, having been called of God, and ordained
after the manner of his holy order" (
2 Nephi 6:2)
"Then shall the lambs feed
after their manner" (2 Nephi 15:17)
"after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men" (2 Nephi 31:3)
"after this manner did they teach them" (Jarom 1:11)
"after this manner we keep the records, for it is according to the commandments of our fathers" (Omni 1:9)
"after this manner he did baptize every one" (Mosiah 18:6)
"Alma did go forth into the water and did baptize them; yea, he did baptize them after the manner he did his brethren in the waters of Mormon" (Mosiah 25:18)
"all these things did Alma and his fellow laborers do who were over the
church, walking in all diligence, teaching the word of God in all
things, suffering all manner of afflictions, being persecuted by all those who did not belong to the church of God" (Mosiah 26:38)
"he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage" (Mosiah 29:40)
"I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus" (Alma 5:44)
"he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind" (Alma 7:11)
"these are the names of the different pieces of their gold, and of their
silver, according to their value. And the names are given by the
Nephites, for they did not reckon
after the manner of the Jews who were at Jerusalem;
neither did they measure after the manner of the Jews" (
Alma 11:4)
"And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son,
in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption." (
Alma 13:2)
"this is
the manner after which they were ordained" (
Alma 13:3)
"they were
ordained after this manner" (Alma 13:8)
"after the people had all
offered up thanks after this manner,
they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until
they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand,
to offer
up thanks after their manner." (
Alma 31:23)
"let this desire work in you, even until ye believe
in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words" (
Alma 32:27)
"they sent forth unto him desiring to know whether they should believe in
one God, that they might obtain this fruit of which he had spoken, or
how they should plant the seed, or the word of which he had spoken,
which he said must be planted in their hearts; or
in what manner they should begin to exercise their faith" (
Alma 33:1)
"not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of
any manner of fowl; for
it shall not be a human sacrifice" (
Alma 34:10)
"I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with
all manner of afflictions" (
Alma 34:40)
"we do not suppose that this first resurrection, which is
spoken of in this manner, can be the resurrection of the souls and their consignation to happiness or misery" (
Alma 40:17)
"the Lamanites did come down into the land of Zarahemla, and did declare unto the people of the Nephites
the manner of their conversion" (
Helaman 6:4)
"some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and
all manner of afflictions" (
3 Nephi 6:13)
"
after this manner shall ye baptize in my name" (
3 Nephi 11:27)
"
After this manner therefore pray ye" (
3 Nephi 13:9)
"
after this manner do they bear record" (
3 Nephi 17:16)
"I began to be learned somewhat
after the manner of the learning of my people" (
Mormon 1:2)
"these things are written unto the remnant of the house of Jacob; and they are
written after this manner, because it is known of God that wickedness will not bring them forth unto them" (
Mormon 5:12)
"the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us,
according to our manner of speech" (
Mormon 9:32)
"it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even
after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites" (
Ether 3:17)
"he finished his record; (and the hundredth part I have not written) and he hid them
in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them" (
Ether 15:33)
"
The manner which the disciples, who were called the elders of the church,
ordained priests and teachers" (
Moroni 3:1)
"
after this manner did they ordain priests and teachers" (
Moroni 3:4)
"
The manner of administering the wine" (
Moroni 5:1)
"their meetings were conducted by the church
after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost" (
Moroni 6:8)
"he spake concerning faith, hope, and charity; for
after this manner did he speak unto the people, as he taught them in the synagogue" (
Moroni 7:21)
"
after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me" (
Moroni 8:9)
TOOLS & WORKMANSHIP:
"Thou shalt construct a ship, after
the manner which I shall show thee" (
1 Nephi 17:8)
"tools to construct the ship after
the manner which thou hast shown unto me" (
1 Nephi 17:9)
"the Lord did show me from time to time after
what manner I should work the timbers of the ship. Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers
after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship
after the manner of men; but I did build it
after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was
not after the manner of men" (
1 Nephi 18:1-2) Here Nephi says essentially the same thing five different times but only
in two different ways.
"we did find
all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper" (
1 Nephi 18:25)
"I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in
all manner
of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of
gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great
abundance" (
2 Nephi 5:15)
"I did construct it
after the manner of
the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things;
for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore,
it could not be
built like unto Solomon’s temple. But
the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine" (
2 Nephi 5:16)
"I did cause that the women should spin, and toil, and work, and work
all manner of fine linen, yea, and
cloth of every kind, that we might clothe our nakedness" (
Mosiah 10:5)
"he also caused that his workmen should work
all manner of fine work within the walls of the temple,
of fine wood, and of copper, and of brass" (
Mosiah 10:11)
"king Noah built many elegant and spacious buildings; and he ornamented them with fine work of wood, and of
all manner of precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and of copper" (
Mosiah 11:8)
"whosoever has these things is called seer,
after the manner of old times" (
Mosiah 28:16)
"their synagogues, which were built
after the manner of the Jews" (
Alma 16:13)
"there cannot any man
work after the manner of so curious a workmanship" (
Alma 37:39)
"in time they might have timber to build their houses, yea, their cities,
and their temples, and their synagogues, and their sanctuaries, and
all
manner of their buildings" (
Helaman 3:9)
"they did still continue to build up churches unto themselves, and adorn them with
all manner of precious things" (
4 Nephi 1:41)
"Go to work and build,
after the manner of
barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the
brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren, and
built barges
after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord" (
Ether 2:16)
"they were built
after a manner that they
were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a
dish; and the bottom thereof was
tight like unto a dish; and the sides
thereof were
tight like unto a dish" (
Ether 2:17)
"he did obtain all his fine work, yea, even his fine gold he did cause to be refined in prison; and
all manner of fine workmanship he did cause to be wrought in prison" (
Ether 10:7)
"And they did work in
all manner of ore, and
they did make gold, and silver, and iron, and brass, and all manner
of metals; and they did dig it out of the earth; wherefore, they did
cast up mighty heaps of earth to get
ore, of gold, and of silver, and of
iron, and of copper. And they did work
all manner of fine work. And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work
all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves
from their nakedness. And they did make
all manner of tools to till the earth, both to plow and to sow, to reap and to hoe, and also to thrash. And they did make
all manner of tools with which they did work their beasts. And they did work
all manner of work of exceedingly curious workmanship." (
Ether 10:23-27)
WEAPONS & WARS:
"I beheld many generations pass away,
after the manner of wars and contentions in the land" (
1 Nephi 12:3)
"I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and
after the manner of it did make many swords" (
2 Nephi 5:14)
"we multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and
became exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things,
and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and
also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making
all manner
of tools of every kind to till the ground, and weapons of war—yea,
the
sharp pointed arrow, and the quiver, and the dart, and the javelin, and
all preparations for war" (
Jarom 1:8)
"two hundred and thirty and eight years had passed away—
after the manner of wars, and contentions, and dissensions" (
Jarom 1:13)
"I did arm them with bows, and with arrows, with swords, and with cimeters, and with clubs, and with slings, and with
all manner of weapons which we could invent" (
Mosiah 9:16)
"I caused that there should be
weapons of war made of every kind, that thereby I might have weapons for my people" (
Mosiah 10:1)
"they went again even the third time, and
suffered in the like manner" (Mosiah 21:12)
"they did arm themselves with swords, and with cimeters, and with bows,
and with arrows, and with stones, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons of war, of every kind" (Alma 2:12)
"Amlici did arm his men with all manner of weapons of war of every kind" (Alma 2:14)
"they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite them" (Alma 27:29)
"his people were armed with swords, and with cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war" (Alma 43:18)
"they were prepared for them,
in a manner which never had been known among the children of Lehi. Now
they were prepared for the Lamanites, to battle
after the manner of the instructions of Moroni" (
Alma 49:8)
"the Lamanites, or the Amalickiahites, were exceedingly astonished at
their manner of preparation for war" (
Alma 49:9)
"many cities [...] all of which were strongly fortified
after the manner of the fortifications of Moroni" (
Alma 51:27)
"Amalickiah did pitch his tents in the borders on the beach by the seashore, and
after this manner were they driven" (
Alma 51:32)
"they had suffered
great afflictions of every kind" (Alma 56:16)
"notwithstanding the Lamanites being
cut off from their support after this manner, they were still determined to maintain the city" (
Alma 57:11)
"ye have been appointed to gather together men, and arm them with swords, and with cimeters, and
all manner of weapons of war of every kind, and send forth against the Lamanites" (
Alma 60:2)
"they are murdering our people with the sword, yea, our women and our
children, and also carrying them away captive, causing them that they
should suffer
all manner of afflictions" (
Alma 60:17)
"the Lamanites had gathered together an innumerable army of men, and
armed them with swords, and with cimeters and with bows, and with
arrows, and with head-plates, and with breastplates, and with
all manner of shields of every kind" (
Helaman 1:14)
"
in this manner they did fall upon them and cut them down to the earth" (
Helaman 1:24)
"Gidgiddoni did cause that they should make
weapons of war of every kind,
and they should be strong with armor, and with shields, and with
bucklers, after
the manner of his instruction" (
3 Nephi 3:26)
"the Nephites being in one body, and having so great a number, and having
reserved for themselves
provisions, and horses and cattle, and flocks
of every kind,
that they might subsist for the space of seven years, in the which time
they did hope to destroy the robbers from off the face of the land" (
3 Nephi 4:4)
"they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with
all manner of weapons of war" (
Mormon 6:9)
"And they did make
all manner of weapons of war." (
Ether 10:27)
"when they were all gathered together, every one to the army which he
would, with their wives and their children—both men, women and children
being armed with weapons of war, having shields, and breastplates, and
head-plates, and being clothed
after the manner of war—they did march forth one against another to battle" (
Ether 15:15)
"they did murder them in
a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death" (
Moroni 9:10)
CONGRATULATIONS! You made it to the end of a long list of example of really bad writing and translating. How do you feel? Invigorated by the Spirit? If not, let me leave you with yet another choice verse after the manner of Book of Mormon manners:
"a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and
contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies,
and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of
temples, and of synagogues and their sanctuaries, and their
righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their
robbings, and their plundering, and
all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work" (
Helaman 3:14)
Oh dear lord,
The Book of Mormon could have been a hundred times more repetitive? Now that's not even funny.
